Confused about whether you can gather unmasked? This graphic summarizes perfectly

We’ve officially lived through a pandemic for a full year now, and the fatigue is getting to all of us. But there’s finally a visible light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, as more and more people are being vaccinated. For so long, we’ve felt like a safe and effective COVID vaccine would act as a magic reset button of sorts, one that would help us return to our normal way of living. Unfortunately, we’re realizing now that it’s not so simple. If you’re struggling to figure out what is and what isn’t safe as we navigate this limbo, you’re definitely not alone.

So many of us have been doing mental gymnastics to try to assess the risk of social gatherings since the beginning of this pandemic, and while we are certainly grateful that effective vaccines are finally here, in some ways it adds a layer of confusion to figure out what we can do without risking catching or transmitting COVID. That’s why we’re loving this simple infographic that lays out some important guidelines for gathering.

Healthcare platform Carbon Health used recommendations from the CDC to create the graphic, which makes important distinctions between vaccinated people and unvaccinated people, as well as those who are high-risk for severe cases of COVID and those who are not.

It reinforces what we’ve learned from the CDC in a way that’s super streamlined and visually easy to follow. Consider it a cheat sheet for when you’re trying to assess the safety of meeting up with friends or family.

According to the infographic, fully vaccinated people from one household can gather other fully vaccinated people from another house without any precautions (yay!). That means these people don’t have to worry about masking or social distancing and can safely gather indoors. As for vaccinated people and unvaccinated people? Well, as the CDC recommends (and the infographic reflects), there’s no need for masks or social distancing provided members of the unvaccinated household are low-risk.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for every social scenario: If one member of a household is unvaccinated and has been deemed high-risk, for example, protections (like mask-wearing and social distancing) should be upheld. This applies even if the high-risk individual is not home at the time of the gathering.

All in all, this graphic really lays it out in a way that’s simple and easily digestible. And let’s be honest here: The mental task of having to juggle and weigh our need for social interaction against all the risks each individual scenario carries has become beyond exhausting. And the best part? This graphic just may help you decide it’s finally time to let your kids hug their grandparents for the first time in a very long time. Cue the happy tears!

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